We interrupt your regularly scheduled morning spin and snark for an important message from the, er…president. Yeah. That’s right. President. Of this blog. Look, it’s my little empire here, so deal with it. Regular programming returns later. This is ME time. (Health Warning: If you’re diabetic, skip this post.)
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In any man’s life, you’ll find any number of critical milestones that shape who he becomes. I don’t mean all the “hold muh beer and watch this” moments. I mean the good stuff. The great leaps and the right turns. The stuff that makes a man a better man. Now for me, most of these were as foreseeable as they were ultimately fortunate.
For instance, there was the moment I finally accepted I’d never get Superman’s job (despite my Adonis-like build) when I grew up, and instead chose to take his day job as a mild-mannered (no snickering you bastards) journalist. There was the quiet evening almost seven years ago when my idea of responsible family planning was to say to the missus “Hey, don’t bother getting your pills this month.” She shrugged a “sure.” The result is almost six years old now, and she’s my boss. And there was that landmark liquid lunch at Al Biernat’s with a certain magazine editor best known for his cruel reputation. The guy actually listened to my stupid ideas and lame story pitches, and then gave me a second chance to get it right. That turned into a four years and still running relationship with the magazine (guess which) and a slightly awkward bromance.
All good times. Definite life changers. But I saw each one coming like they were waving flags and doing a line dance.
The Big One? Fair to say I never saw it coming. Hit me 17 years and one day ago exactly. Changed everything.
I was covering a trial. She was on break from jury duty in the court room next door. I took one look and stopped cold. Stunned. She was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. I walked past her a half dozen times absolutely dazed and confused. Now, I wasn’t the sort to just walk up and start hitting on a girl like I am now. But I’m not exaggerating one bit when I tell you something inside me said that if I didn’t say hello to this girl right then and there, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.
JUMP IF YOU’RE NOT ALREADY SICK FROM THE SAP. IT GETS WORSE. THERE ARE PICS.
That’s about when I noticed she was reading A Confederacy of Dunces. Just like that, it went from infatuation at first glance to love at first sight. I croaked out some sort of godawful opening line, convinced her I wasn’t there as a defendant (that time anyway), and asked for her phone number. Five days later we went out on our first date. That first date is now in its 17th year.
So that was the single most important moment in my life, and the most unexpected. Everything good since — and it’s been good something fierce — has been because of that day.
That’s why I’m taking a short break from my usual blogging and jackassery to say thank you, Cindy, for seeing whatever you saw in me all those years back. And for being my Lois. (And thank you, John Kennedy Toole, for the opening, because that was all I had game-wise that day.)
Just to complete the sugar overdose, here are just a few pics from this neverending date. Most are post-2000 because for so long I was convinced digital photography was a passing fad (and time will tell on that), and because apparently I’ll get around to scanning in the older prints sometime after I get around to mastering German and throat-singing.
You’re a lucky man Trey.
If I posted a tribute to my wife and marriage, she’d be tearing up the floorboads looking for the new toy I must’ve bought.
Awww…very nice. Sets a good vibe for the whole day…
nice story!
Well done. May your neverending date, well, never end.
But Cindy looks like she’s taller than you, and by posting pics that attest as much, you practically guarantee that some jerk will come along to make fun of you for it. And it would pain me to see such jackassery. In FBesse, IJS.
Variety reports that this story is set to be the next Matthew McConaughey vehicle, Restraining Disorders.
Congratulations.
Now that is what I call a real man!!! Have a continuing happy life.
Dude, you definitely married UP. Congratulations!
I have a decade or so more experience than you do in pondering such wisdom, but I too am of the belief that the most important choice you’ll ever make is the person you choose to marry. Take me and mine: Our first date was more than 27 years ago, and I would blog about it, except I doubt I could match your sap factor. Call it luck or fate, but something so unexpectedly wonderful is indeed a true gift.
OK, enough sweetness and light for one day. Time for target practice!
@Daniel
There is that.
FEW HAPPY MATCHES, by Dr. Isaac Watts
Say, mighty Love, and teach my song,
To whom tyh sweetest joys belong,
And who the happy pairs
Whose yielding hearts, and joining hands,
Find blessings twisted with their bands
To soften all their cares
Two kindest souls alone must meet,
‘Tis friendship makes the bondage sweet,
And feds their mutual loves:
Bright Venus on her rolling throne
Is drawn by gentlest birds alone,
And Cupids yolked the doves.
A Little Book of Old Time Verses, P.F. Volland Company, 1917
Sweet story.
(It’s a mystery to me, however, that people were so enamored with Toole’s book.)
That’s pretty awesome, Trey.
I’d like a referral to your hypnotist.
Congratulations to you and the Missus. May you have many, MANY more such remembrences, and make many, MANY more.
Goddess bless, and blessed be!
I share a similar story to yours, with a shorter duration (14 years and counting).
When single guys ask me about finding a mate, I tell them to ‘marry up’. Now, the other side of the coin is I tell the ladies the same thing. If both sides of the relationship think they have chosen somebody who is going to improve their lives, then they are off to the right start. If you think you are better than they are, they will know. And it will tear you apart. Mutual respect and admiration goes a long, long way.
Trey,
Never apologize for honest sentiment, especially about your wife. Yes, we live in a snarky world, but snark is inherently superficial and petty. What sets you apart as a writer and journalist is that you have heart.
I’ll take sincere sap over cynical crap every time.
Thanks for sharing. You made my day better.
Reid
P.S. “A Confederacy of Dunces” is in my Top 5.
“He who is in love is wise and is becoming wiser, sees newly every time he looks at the object beloved, drawing from it with his eyes and his mind those virtues which it possesses.”
Gotta love Emerson…Congrats!
Mr. Garrison, I have had the pleasure of having your wife’s company every other week for quite sometime now and I adore her. She is funny, pretty, witty and just a really neat woman. I can see how you continue to be smitten with her. She is, after all, your Lois. I think that the two of you are perfect for each other and I hope to continue to see her smiling face and her love of dance for many years to come. I know you will continue to see her smiling face and wonderful self for many years to come for she is as smitten with you as you are with her. You lucky dawgs.
This is the perfect example of why I tell my daughters never to shirk their duty as citizens to show up for jury duty.
@Amanda Warr: My experience has been that love lowers the IQ (mine) but I can see from looking around that it’s not that way for everybody. Thank goodness!
Congratulations, Trey and Cindy! And many more…
very nice, you are definitely lucky
El Rey said it well:
“If both sides of the relationship think they have chosen somebody who is going to improve their lives, then they are off to the right start.”
So true.
As well, mutual respect, patience, and passion. You and Cindy have all of those ingredients, and Doug and I expect to be invited to your 50th anniversary soiree, along with a gaggle of our grandchildren.